Desolation
by Nate Grey
Summary: Marche returns to Ivalice, and comes to realize he's never made a greater mistake. Complete.
1. Secrets of the Viera

Notes: As I played through FFTA, I found myself asking (along with everyone else in the game), "Why DOES Marche want to go back to his world?  It's better here!"  So I wrote a story to prove that point.

Summary: Marche returns to his world…and comes to realize that he's never made a greater mistake.

Desolation

A Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Fanfic by

Nate Grey (XMAN0123aol.com)

desolation  _n_

1: the action of desolating

2: grief, sadness

3: loneliness

4: devastation, ruin

5: barren wasteland

Prologue: Secrets of the Viera

Eldena smiled as the Icedrake closed his eyes and settled down on the cool stone floor.  She continued to hum and gently stroke his head until the rumbling snores made it impossible for him to hear her.  "Rest easy, old friend," she murmured, donning her red Wizard's Hat and quietly leaving the Dragon Pens.

Like the rest of the clan's monsters, Propus the Icedrake had been having trouble sleeping lately.  Everyone knew the cause, but few were actually willing to state the obvious problem.  Instead, most of the clan tried to function as if nothing had changed, but that was just impossible, and they all knew it.

Marche and Ritz had been gone for nearly three months now, though time must have passed much slower for them in the realm of St. Ivalice.  Eldena suspected a day hadn't even unfolded for the battle-hardened children yet, but it certainly felt like ages to the friends and clan mates they had left behind.

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching wail of anguish floated through the Monster Bank, and the many monsters that hadn't found sleep yet replied at once with their own cries.  Sighing, Eldena increased her pace, and soon found the source of the wail in the Lamia Pens.

The clan's best Beastmaster, the wizened Nu Mou Thane, was doing his best to calm the weeping Lamia, but she continued to sob, rejecting his offers of food and comfort.  A look of relief passed over his face at Eldena's approach, and he quickly motioned her forward.

Eldena began to hum her song again as she came closer.  She had long since run out of food for the various monsters, so music would have to do until a runner could be sent to a shop.  Even then, the chances of any other business being open this late was highly unlikely, so Eldena knew she was probably a last resort.

Fortunately, most Lamia had a penchant for music, and this one was no different.  The serpentine monster quieted as the Red Mage came closer and took the creature's scaly claws in her soft, warm hands.

Thane sighed as he bent down to rummage through his bag of supplies.  "Poor Ulash is heartbroken, I think.  She must miss that boy more than all of us combined."

Eldena only nodded as she continued to hum to Ulash, who was captivated by her song.  Most of the clan's monsters had grown attached to Marche very quickly.  He'd always insisted on feeding them himself, and while many had come to see him simply as a provider of food, the others considered him a vital part of their lives.  It must have been very difficult for them, either knowing for sure or sensing that he was gone.

But it wasn't just the monsters that missed Marche.  Eldena had to admit that she, too, had a soft spot in her heart for the boy she had watched mature so rapidly.  She found it amazing that someone with such a gentle soul could be so fear inspiring as he rushed into the battle, the legendary twin blades of Gaol gripped so expertly in his hands.  But at the same time, she knew that Marche hated having to fight his way out of so many encounters.  In the end, though, it was their clan's might that had determined their success.  Without Marche to lead them, the entire group just seemed…dulled, somehow.

The sad fact was that no one person could replace Marche.  Cheney the Thief, Littlevili the Sniper, and even Lini the Gunner had stepped forward to lead for a time.  Each had the original four's blessing (Beltran had never gotten over being let go solely to obtain a knife), and each had discovered that the pressures of leadership simply overwhelmed them. 

Eldena's thoughts were interrupted as a hand gripped her shoulder.  She looked up to see Shanon the Assassin staring down at her.

"It is time," the black-clothed Viera stated simply, her dark eyes leaving no doubt about what she meant.

"Has it been long enough yet?" Eldena questioned, noticing that Shanon's ever-present companion, Rosetta the Elementalist, had brought an Echo Screen for Ulash to snack on.  "Maybe we should wait a little longer."

Shanon shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest.  "It's been too long already.  They could be in serious danger.  We need to do it quickly."

"What does Shara think about-"

"Littlevili's gone to fetch her," Shanon interrupted with a hasty nod.  "It is time, Eldena.  I would think you'd be especially anxious to do this."

The Red Mage lowered her head so that her expression was not visible under the wide brim of her Wizard's Hat.  "I am," she said softly.  "But I want to be sure.  I suppose there's no point in arguing with you, though, if everyone is already coming together."

Shanon seemed to guess Eldena's mood.  "I meant no disrespect, elder," she added hesitantly.  She was clearly not used to making apologies.

Eldena lifted her head and laughed.  "Nor did I ask you to make me feel older than I already am!  But you are right; it must be time now."  She stroked the Lamia's hood affectionately, and was pleased to see Ulash offer a small smile as she munched somewhat happily on Rosetta's gift.

Thane gave the trio the briefest of glances as he began to sharpen Ulash's claws for her.  "A little late for a gathering, isn't it, ladies?"

"Oh, no," Rosetta disagreed at once.  "It's the perfect time for a Viera gathering, elder."

"Don't wait up for us," Eldena advised, touching his shoulder.  "We'll be gone all night, most likely, and probably some of the morning."

"I hope your council is fruitful," Thane replied respectfully, nodding at them.

"We mean for it to be," Eldena murmured, mostly to herself, as the three Viera walked away from the Monster Bank.

Next Chapter: Alone

Marche wakes up in St. Ivalice, but his family is gone, and all he has to go on is a strange call from Ritz.


	2. Alone

Cast (Note: each person's job is determined by abilities they use in the story in most cases) 

Eldena – Red Mage/Summoner

Thane (random) – Beastmaster/Sage

Shanon (random) – Assassin

Marche Radiuju

Ritz Malheur – White Mage

Doned Radiuju

Cid Randell

Llednar Twem – Biskmatar (Mageknight, think Paladin Totema)

Remedi Randell

Ezel Berbier – Hermetic

Pallanza – White Monk/Gladiator

Shara – Sniper

Montblanc – Animist/Time Mage

Chapter 1: Alone

Marche sat up in bed—his bed—with a slow smile spreading across his face.  In his dreams, he'd feared that this would all be a dream.  He had dreaded waking up still in Ivalice, still being a clan leader, and still being hunted down by every clan itching to make a name for itself.  It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed those things, but each of them would've meant that he had failed to restore his home of St. Ivalice to its rightful state.

As far as he could tell from looking around his room, the only thing that remained of the magical world of Ivalice was his memories.  But as familiar as the scene was, there was something wrong with it.  It only took Marche a few seconds to realize what was wrong: the house was far too quiet.  If the clock on his bedside table was right, it was a few minutes after ten in the evening.  But if that were true, then at the very least, he should've been hearing the wispy breathing of Doned from the other bed.  There was no breathing, simply because there was no Doned.

Marche didn't panic as soon as he realized that his little brother was gone.  It was possible Doned had suffered a relapse and was at the hospital again, or that a routine therapy session had run a little late.  Normally, it would've been impossible for Marche to sleep through either of those, but he had been exhausted from his adventures.  His mother had probably left a note in the usual place on the table, explaining what had happened and if he should wait up for them or not.

This, however, was not the case.  Marche searched the house from top to bottom, but there was no note.  More importantly, there was no sign that his family had even been in the house at all for some time.  The trash hadn't been collected and taken to the curb, the dishes were piled up in the sink, and there was a large stack of clothes in serious need of washing.  For his mother to ignore those chores, something must've been really wrong with Doned.  It was possible she'd simply forgotten to leave a note, but over the course of several days, she should've thought to come home or at least call…

Marche slapped his forehead and ran into the living room.  Sure enough, the red light on the answering machine was blinking, indicating new messages.  Feeling like a fool, he hit Play and sighed in relief.  He had no way of knowing that what he would hear next would only leave him feeling even more confused.

"Marche, are you there?" demanded Ritz's voice.

For a moment, he actually started to pick up the phone, for fear of what Ritz might do if she thought she he was ignoring her.  Then he reminded himself that this was a recorded message and that he had already missed her call.

There was an impatient sigh as Ritz went on.  "Look, before you do ANYTHING else, come straight to my house.  I don't care when you get this message, just come straight here, okay?  I need to talk to you, and it's VERY important.  DON'T do anything else until you've talked to me.  I'm not kidding, Marche.  You come directly over here as soon as you get this message.  I'll be up all night, so don't worry about waking me up.  And DON'T let me find out that you went somewhere else.  Trust me, you'll regret it."

Marche stared at the phone uncertainly for a few minutes.  There were no other messages, and Ritz's was only five or six hours old.  In truth, he would've preferred to find his family first, but he had no real leads, and Ritz did seem to either want or need his presence a great deal.  He was still worried that their friendship might be a bit strained after their last confrontation, and he didn't want to risk damaging it further.  Aside from Mewt, Ritz was the only friend he had, and Marche didn't want to lose her over something like this.  When he looked at it that way, the choice was already made: he would go see Ritz first, and then worry about finding his mother and Doned.  Maybe Ritz even had some information about their whereabouts, and that was why she had called.  Somehow, though, he doubted that was all she had to tell him.

He had just started down the street when the phone began to ring within the house.  Figuring he'd get the message when he got back, he kept going, and so he wasn't there when the answering machine clicked on.

"Marche Radiuju?  This is Dr. Broadstone over at St. Ivalice General Hospital.  I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news.  Your brother Doned fell into a coma today, and as of now, he's stable with no sign of that changing any time soon.  All the same, we need you to come and discuss his health care options for the immediate future.  Please call us at your earliest convenience."

By the time Marche reached Ritz's house, it was a few minutes before midnight.  Normally, he would've caught the bus over, but for some reason, the 11:35 hadn't shown up, and he'd finally made the trip on foot.  Ritz had made it seem vital that she spoke with him as soon as was humanly possible, and that had been hours ago.  She would probably be upset with him no matter when he arrived, even if she was staying up all night.  Just the fact that she was willing to wait up that long indicated how important the conversation would be. 

Marche's mind began to race as he started to ring the doorbell, then thought better of it and knocked quietly on the door.  Most likely, she had something Ivalice-related to tell him; some little-known fact that he had overlooked when restoring their world to its rightful state.

The door flew open without warning, and for a frightening moment, Marche thought Ritz's grandmother had come to the door, angry about being woken up so late.  Then he really looked, and his eyes widened in surprise.   "…Ritz?  Is that you?"

Next Chapter: Grief

Marche meets the new and improved Ritz, but she's not exactly overjoyed to see him…


	3. Grief

Chapter 2: Grief

The girl with snow-white hair scowled at him.  "Of course it's me, you goofball."  She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the house, shutting the door firmly after him.  "Took you long enough to get here."

"Well, the bus wasn't running," Marche began to explain, but he stopped and shook his head.  "Ritz…why did you stop dying your hair?"

There was an expression of sheer horror on her face as she turned to him.  "You…you knew…my secret?"

Marche nodded.  "I've sat next to you too many times not to notice a white strand here and there, even with the dye.  I figured you didn't tell me because you didn't want people to know.  Don't worry, I never told anyone, not even Mewt."

Ritz relaxed somewhat at his confession.  "Thanks," she murmured.  "For not telling."

"Sorry for not recognizing you right away," Marche added with a hesitant smile.  "It's just that I've never seen you like this."

"Few people have.  I didn't want them to before."

"So what made you change your mind?"

She smiled faintly.  "Something a dear friend told me.  That's all."

"I'm glad you listened to them.  You look nicer this way."  Without thinking, Marche reached out to stroke her hair.  His hand was halfway there when their eyes met, and he realized what he was doing.  At once, he began to draw back his hand.

"It's okay," Ritz said softly, her cheeks burning.  "You can, if you want to."

That was not the response he had been expected at all, but since she had invited, Marche hesitantly ran his fingers through her silky hair, tucking it neatly behind her ear when he was done.

"It never stays," Ritz explained, even as her hair breezed forward to frame her face again.  "I've gotten used to it doing that, really."

"So what did you want to talk about?" Marche asked.  "You sounded really insistent when you called."

"Before we get to that, I need to ask you something."  She paused, as if uncertain of how to phrase the question.  "Why did you restore Ivalice?  Was it just because you wanted to go home, or was there another reason?"

Marche had to really think before answering.  "There were several reasons.  I did want to go home, but not just because I was homesick.  If Mewt always ran from his problems, he would never be able to stand up for himself.  I wanted him to grow stronger—like we did there—and become his own person, without hiding behind someone.  I also had to look out for Doned.  If anything happened to me there, he'd have been alone.  I was a little upset that he sold me out, but I understand why he did it now.  And of course I always intended for you to come back with us, Ritz.  We're a trio, and it wouldn't have been right without you."

"So you think Ivalice wasn't right?" Ritz asked, with something like anger in her eyes.

"Not exactly.  There were things about it that were wrong, like Queen Remedi, obviously.  But the world itself wasn't really…bad.  It just wasn't…you know…real."

"That's what everyone loved about it," Ritz sighed.  "It wasn't real, but it was for them while they were in it.  It was so real that no one wanted to let go.  No one but you, anyway.  But it was real for me, Marche.  I made friends there, and I was happy there.  So for anyone, especially you, to tell me that it didn't really exist, and that Shara was just a figment of my imagination, makes me so mad that I could just scream!  I mean, you were there!  You experienced the same things I did!  How can you pass it off as a mere dream?"

"I know it wasn't a dream," Marche answered.  "I know it was real, I just used the wrong word.  I can't describe it.  Ivalice wasn't wrong, exactly, it just…wasn't really right.  I can't explain it any better."

"Well, for all your good intentions, I still think what you did was very selfish," she snapped.  "I understand why you did it, but that doesn't change the fact that you took away something that made a lot of people happy."

"I had to give up my friends, too," Marche insisted.  "It wasn't easy for me.  But since no one else wanted to see our world restored, I thought if I didn't do something, no one would.  Mewt was surrounded by yes-men, you were off adventuring with the Viera, and I was the only one trying to set things right."

"Maybe they WERE right before you meddled with them!" Ritz cried.  "Can you honestly stand there and tell me that you never enjoyed leading your own clan?"

"No.  It was actually pretty fun.  But I wasn't willing to do it forever, unlike you two.  It's one thing to play a game for a while, but it's another to lose yourself in it entirely.  You can't just leave behind all your problems in the name of being happy.  That's not how the real world works."

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe St. Ivalice became Ivalice for a reason?  Maybe you're the one that made the mistake in changing things.  Maybe all this was supposed to happen to us—for us.  For all we know, you've taken away the one chance we all had to be truly happy for the rest of our lives."

"Maybe you and Mewt could've been, but what about me?" Marche asked, his voice nearly hoarse with anger.  "Did you happen to run into my parents?  Were they still together?  Had they stopped arguing about how they were going to pay Doned's medical bills?  Being part of a clan was great, but even they couldn't replace my family."

"That's probably because you wouldn't let them," Ritz replied at once.  "You were too busy fighting to leave Ivalice.  If you'd just given it a chance before you changed everything back to-"

"Is this why you called me over here, Ritz?  Just to throw this in my face again?  I thought you said we'd still be friends.  I thought you said you wouldn't hate me."

She sighed.  "We are, and I don't.  And no, that's not why I called you."  Ritz took a deep breath.  "While I was in Ivalice, I actually learned a lot from the Viera.  They took care of me and taught me their ways."

Marche nodded.  "I know.  The Viera in my clan were like that, too.  Each was different, but they all seemed to want to mother me."

"They probably sensed that you needed it," Ritz murmured.  "Sometimes Shara gave voice to my thoughts before I even knew they were in my head.  That can happen when you're close with a Viera."

A strange look passed over Marche's face.  He could distinctly remember Eldena finishing his sentences only a few days after she had joined the clan.  At first, it had seemed odd, but after a while, he got used to her reading him like a book.  There were similar instances with Shanon and Rosetta, now that he thought about it.  Had he been that close with all of them, and if so, when had it happened?

Ritz's voice broke into his recollection.  "Marche, do you know where Doned is?"

"Um…no, actually."

"I do.  Come on."  She grabbed a white coat and slipped it on. 

Marche's eyes widened as the person in white ceased to be Ritz for a few seconds.  Instead, he found himself staring at a scowling Viera.

**[**"I don't like this, Marche," Shanon said irritably, glaring down at her new white robe.  "I'm not a healer, I'm an Assassin.  This job doesn't suit me.  Leave the White Magic to Thane."

_"Taking life is easy for you," Marche reminded her, placing a hand on her shoulder.  "But have you ever tried giving it back?  It doesn't feel the same, but I bet you'd be great at it."_

_"But I don't-" Shanon began to say, before he pressed a finger to her lips._

_"Listen, Shanon.  You're an excellent Assassin, but what would you do if someone took my life in battle?"_

_Her dark eyes widened in shock and outrage.  "I would never let anyone do that to you!  I never have and I never will!"_

_Marche smiled at her fierce loyalty to him.  "But you only know how to cut the thread of life, not restore it.  Don't you think it would be useful to at least learn that?"_

_"I guess," Shanon muttered sullenly after a long moment.  "But it wouldn't happen to you, Marche!" she insisted._

_"Well, now we can both be sure of that, can't we?"  He leaned closer to whisper in her ear.  "Just do it for me, Shanon.  After you've mastered Life, Cura, and Auto-Life, you can stop, and I'll never bug you about it again.  Deal?"_

_"…deal," she replied in a small, reluctant voice._

_Marche grinned and squeezed her hands.  "Just you wait.  You'll be the best White Mage this clan has ever had!"**]**_

"Marche, you coming or what?"

He blinked and shook his head slightly, realizing that Ritz was giving him an odd look.  "Oh.  Um…yeah.  Just thinking about something."  Marche followed her out of the house.

Ritz gave her friend another curious glance as she turned to lock the door.  She raised the key to the lock, paused for a few seconds, and frowned.  With a grim look on her face, she stuffed the key back in her pocket without locking up, and started down the street in a hurry, leaving Marche to catch up as best he could.

Next Chapter: Sadness

With Ritz guiding him, Marche discovers the fates of Doned and Cid.


	4. Sadness

Chapter 3: Sadness

She had known that this would be hard for him, but Ritz was unprepared for Marche's reaction.  He didn't cry, he didn't curse himself, and he didn't try to do something foolish.  Instead, Marche walked slowly to the hospital bed, stared down at his little brother, and said nothing at all.  His gaze seemed to express nothing but the emptiness he felt in his heart, and that look disturbed Ritz to no end.

"I did this to him, Ritz," Marche whispered, hesitantly reaching out to brush Doned's pale forehead with his fingers.  "Didn't I?"  He looked at her, his eyes growing damp.

Ritz remained in the doorway, where she somehow felt safer.  "Possibly.  I don't know for sure that everything is this way solely because of you.  There are other factors to consider…unknown variables that could've-"

"Are you saying that because it's really what you think, or because you don't want me to blame myself?" he interrupted.

She gave him a hard look.  "Make no mistake about it, Marche.  A lot of what has happened here IS your fault.  I'm not going to sugarcoat anything.  But I know you would never intentionally hurt your family, and I do think Doned's coma might be the result of someone else's actions."

Marche frowned.  "No one else but us and Mewt knew for sure that this world even existed."

Ritz shook her head.  "As hard as you fought to get this world back, you must've convinced at least one of your foes."

"At least one…?  Ritz, what aren't you telling me?  Who else knew that St. Ivalice exists?"

She closed her eyes and turned away.  "Later.  Right now, we need to-"

His hand landed on her arm without warning, and Ritz jumped slightly.  "Wait.  You know some White Magic, don't you?" Marche asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"…what makes you think that?"

He nodded at her clothes.  "You look…just like a White Mage.  I was hoping it wasn't just coincidence."  Marche swallowed noisily.  "Can't you do something to help Doned?"

Ritz opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say died in her throat as she locked eyes with her friend.  Frowning, she approached Doned's bedside and stretched out her arms, her hands hovering over the young boy's body.  "Esuna," she murmured softly, even as her hands flashed briefly.  But when the light faded, there was no visible change in Doned. 

"Is he…?" Marche began to ask.

She whirled on him angrily, tears beginning to form in her eyes.  "I tried to tell you.  My magic won't always work here.  It's part of Ivalice, not this world.  And you've got no one to blame for that but yourself, Marche."

"Ritz…I'm sorry.  I didn't know…"

"You couldn't know.  Maybe that's why I'm here: to make sure you do."  Ritz brushed past him quickly, wiping her eyes.  "Come on.  There's someone else here that you need to see."

Marche hesitated, and leaned over quickly to kiss his little brother's forehead.  "I'll be back later, Doned," he promised, squeezing the boy's hand.  "I promise you we'll beat this thing together."  He reluctantly let go and hurried after Ritz, who had already swept out into the hall and was halfway to the elevators by the time he caught up with her.

**[**Marche sighed as he sheathed his swords and turned toward the large doors.  Defeating Llednar and his forces had not been easy, but there was comfort in the fact that they wouldn't be returning.  But as Marche and Judgemaster Cid stepped forward to open the doors, a hand grabbed Marche's arm.

"Wait, Marche," Eldena said, something like fear in her voice.  "Don't go in yet.  I need to give you something.  For the trip back home, I mean."

"There isn't much time to spare, Eldena.  We should really-"

"Listen to her, Marche," Cheney interrupted, wiping blood from his katanas onto his Dark Gear as a kind of morbid war paint. 

"Take this, please," Eldena said, pressing something small and hard into Marche's hand.  "You don't have to use it, but promise me you'll at least keep it with you when you leave."

Marche opened his hand to see one of Eldena's twin Angel Rings.  "Eldena…I can't accept this."

"You can and you will!" she nearly cried, her voice rising without warning.  "I want you to always be safe, you silly boy," Eldena whispered after a moment, tears in her eyes.  "Can't you see that?!"

"All I see is someone that's been keeping me safe since the moment I met her.  So while I don't think I'll need this, I will keep it, since you asked me to."  Marche slipped the ring into his pocket.  "You don't need to worry, Eldena.  Nothing bad can happen to me, as long as you're by my side."  He smiled at her before turning to help Cid with the doors.

"But I won't be, if we succeed," she murmured, so softly that he couldn't hear her.  "I may never be by your side again, and that frightens me more than anything else…"**]**

"This probably isn't the best time to mention it," Marche said as they rode the elevator up, "but it seems like you know a lot more than you're telling me, Ritz."

She glanced at him, but otherwise didn't move.  "Are you saying you don't trust me, Marche?"

"Of course I trust you," he replied at once.  "I just don't understand why you won't tell me everything you know about Ivalice changing back into St. Ivalice."

Ritz sighed and shook her head.  "Remember when I said I learned a lot from the Viera in my clan?  Well, that was an understatement.  I was privy to things most people will never know.  I can't just tell you everything I learned; much was told to me in confidence.  There are things that I can tell you now, things I can't until later, and things no one else was meant to know."

"You almost sound like some sort of prophet," Marche said jokingly.

"Good," she responded instantly.  "The more like the Viera I am, the better off we both are."  Before he could question her further, the elevator slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open.  

Marche frowned slightly as he followed her down the hall.  He wasn't sure if he liked this new, mysterious Ritz.  He'd said that he trusted her, but he was beginning to wonder just how much she really knew about what was going on in this world.  While he didn't fear her betraying him, Marche worried that she might not tell him something that he would've deemed important. 

"Here," Ritz said suddenly, stopping beside a room.  "You first."

"What?  Why?"

"Just go," Ritz all but ordered.

"You come with me."

"Why?"

Marche colored slightly.  "I'd feel better if you came with me.  Please?"  He held out his hand.

Ritz rolled her eyes, but she did take his hand.  Still, she pushed him into the room first.

Marche had been afraid that he might find one or both of his parents inside.  Instead, he found a heavily bandaged man that couldn't be his father, because he was someone else's.  "Mr. Randell?"

There was a quiet grunt as the man slowly opened the eye that wasn't covered by gauze.  "Oh…kids.  What are you doing here?"

"We heard about your…misfortune," Ritz supplied, seeing Marche was at a loss.

Cid let out a weak laugh.  "If you call being beaten up by loan sharks that, I guess it is.  Anyway, I want to thank you kids."

"What did we do?" Marche asked. 

"You're the only friends my son has.  I don't know what would've happened to him without you two.  Lord knows I wasn't there for him.  Now I'll never have the chance…"

"What are you saying?  You'll be fine!" Marche insisted, though he looked doubtful.

"Well, assuming nothing gets worse, I won't die right away.  Even then, it could be years before I walk again.  Mewt would be a man, and hopefully a much better one than I was.  Besides, he'd want nothing to do with me.  He has another father now."

"What?  Who?!" Marche demanded.

Cid sighed and shook his head.  "Just leave me here to waste away, kids.  If I can't have a hand in raising my son the right way, I don't deserve a second chance.  Besides, I know he's in good hands."

Marche turned to Ritz.  "Do you think you can…?"

Ritz walked over to the bed and placed her hands on Cid's chest.

"Don't," he whispered.  "Don't do it, girl.  There's no point in-"  His voice failed him as white light surrounded him and poured into his body.

"Curaga," Ritz murmured, her face a mask of intense concentration.

When the light faded, Marche could see that the bruising on Cid's face was gone.  He could also see that the man's lips had curled into an ugly snarl. 

"Get out," Cid whispered, his voice trembling with new life and barely suppressed rage.  "Both of you."

"But we-" Marche began to say. 

"Out, damn you!" Cid roared, sitting up in the bed.

"Let's go," Ritz whispered, pulling Marche away from the bed.

Marche turned as they reached the door, only to find Cid glaring at him.  "What do you think he meant about Mewt having a new father?" he asked when they were out in the hall.

Ritz gave him a look of disturbing certainty.  "I don't 'think' he meant anything," she replied.

Next Chapter: Loneliness

A visit to Mewt's turns disastrous, as Marche encounters two foes from Ivalice and parts ways with Ritz.


	5. Loneliness

Chapter 4: Loneliness

Marche could not ignore the strangely familiar icy sensation that filled his body.  It began the moment he first caught sight of the Randell home.  Every step that brought him closer seemed to summon more and more dread in his heart.

Ritz did not help at all by refusing to go in with him.  She'd said something about him needing to do this on his own.  Marche, however, suspected she was just as afraid as he was.  Either that, or she had developed a Viera-like awareness that warned her against certain things.    

The house itself was dark and presumably empty, but Ritz assured him that Mewt was home.  Marche kept glancing at the closed curtains in the windows, thinking someone or something was watching his every move.  There was just a certain something about the house that wouldn't allow him to relax.  Even when he knocked on the door, he only did it once, as if the echo would be enough to draw attention.

There was no immediate sign of his knock being heard, and Marche was considering doing it again when the door swung open without warning.  His blood ran cold at the sight that greeted his eyes, because it was far too unexpected a shock.  Yet, at the same time, Marche knew he should've expected it.  With all the things that were wrong in St. Ivalice now, it all had to originate from something this bad.

"You're late," Llednar stated, as if he expected Marche to be ashamed of himself.

"We made an additional stop at the hospital," Marche replied, which was true.  He had all but begged Ritz to try healing Doned again, after her success with Cid.  Unfortunately, she had refused, insisting that if it hadn't worked the first time, it wouldn't work the second.  He got the impression that she was trying to be very conservative with her magic, but he wasn't sure why.

"I suppose you want to see Mewt?" Llednar asked, looking him over as if he were a particularly interesting bug.

"What are you doing here?" Marche asked coldly.

"What I was always meant to do: protect Mewt from certain annoying meddlers who shall remain nameless."  Of course, since he never looked away from Marche, not even to glare at Ritz, there was little doubt of whom he meant.

"So you are or you aren't holding him prisoner here?" Marche demanded.

Llednar actually looked as if he might laugh.  "Are you insane?  The poor boy is distraught, you fool.  He has lost his mother and now his father.  He needs comfort.  He needs support.  He needs protection from people like you.  I don't have to hold him; he has no desire to set foot outside this house."

"Then I guess I'll have to come in," Marche said, taking a step forward.  When Llednar didn't remove himself from the doorway, he added, "I'll walk over you if I have to."

Llednar smiled darkly.  "No, I don't think you will."  He stepped forward as well, and suddenly there was a sword pressed against Marche's neck.  The truly frightening thing was that it had to have appeared out of thin air, since Llednar had made no move to draw it. 

Even more disturbing was the fact that Marche recognized the sword.  "Nagrarok," he whispered carefully as the blade was pressed even harder against his neck.  "Where did you get that?"

Llednar arched an eyebrow.  "I'm surprised you know it.  Then you also know what it can do…more precisely, what I can do to you with it."  He removed the sword and tapped it lightly against his shoulder as he spoke.  "That aside, I have retained all my other abilities in this world.  One wrong move and you'll find yourself drowning in Abyss.  Somehow, I doubt you'll find it so easy to recover from, with your little healer friend running on empty." 

Marche couldn't help glancing at Ritz, but she was clearly ignoring the two young men.

"You may see Mewt," Llednar said after a long moment.  "If you upset him, I will make you suffer.  If you don't leave, I will take pleasure in destroying you.  There will be no Judgemaster to save you this time."  His face seemed to grow darker.  "I've made sure of that."  He prodded Marche with his sword.  "Go.  You have until Mewt tires of you, which I estimate will be ten minutes."

Marche slipped by Llednar, his mind reeling from the revelation.  Had Llednar had something to with the loan sharks tracking down Cid?  And how was it that he retained so much of his power from Ivalice, while Ritz had so little?  Did he have some kind of control over both worlds?  Or had Remedi's power somehow been transferred to Llednar?  It was possible but highly unlikely that Mewt had answers, but whether he could or would share them with Marche was another matter.

Ritz estimated only five minutes passed before the front door opened, and Marche came sailing out, landing in the snowbank at her feet.  He didn't seem to be badly hurt, at least, and got to his feet far too quickly to have any major injuries.

Llednar glared at them from the door.  "You had your time.  Never come here again, unless you grow tired of existing.  In that case, I would be all too happy to spare a Life Render or two."

Before Marche could open his mouth to reply, Ritz was dragging him away.  He growled in frustration and stomped after her.

"I take it talking to Mewt didn't go well?" she asked after a long moment.

"No," Marche almost spat.  "He acted like I was the cause of all his problems, especially his parents.  Even worse, he actually seems to think that Llednar will take good care of him."

"He will, you know," Ritz replied at once.

"Don't YOU start," Marche groaned.

"Have you ever seen Llednar harm Mewt?" Ritz asked, not looking at him.

"…no," Marche answered hesitantly.

"Have you ever seen him harm anyone that wasn't affiliated with your clan?"

"No, but what does that-"

"Then what makes you think he'd ever hurt Mewt, knowing what you know about both of them?"  Ritz finally stopped and turned to him.  "They're two sides of the same coin, Marche.  Llednar actually is the best guardian for Mewt, even if Cid was in any condition to take care of him.  He would die before he let anything happen to Mewt, whether you know it or not."

"Actually, I'm more curious how YOU know it," Marche asked, pulling away from her.  "I don't recall you being there when Judgemaster Cid explained that to me."

Ritz rolled her eyes.  "It doesn't take a genius, Marche.  Llednar's name is Mewt's backwards, and they're exact opposites.  Only a fool couldn't see they're connected.  Llednar is everything Mewt could want in a father and a brother.  He exists only to protect Mewt.  He won't ever get distracted or bored; he has no other purpose."

Marche stared at her in disbelief.  "So it doesn't bother you at all that Llednar probably had everything to do with what happened to Cid?"

"It wouldn't matter.  You had me heal Cid, remember?  And do you also remember how angry Cid was when I did that?  You can never leave well enough alone, Marche, and now you're paying for it."

"I've decided," Marche said suddenly, backing away from her.  "I don't like the new you at all."

Ritz smiled sadly at him.  "I see.  And is that because I scare you, or because you're scared I might right?"

"You CAN'T be right!" Marche shouted.  "None of what you just said makes any sense!  At least, it wouldn't have made sense to the old Ritz!"

Her face fell.  "Marche, the old Ritz was too blind to see that she hurt the person who loved her most each and every day.  Do you really want that person back?"

"Yes!  At least I knew I could trust that person, because she wasn't perfect!  She had problems like I did, she didn't have all the answers, and she cared when her friends were in pain!  Now I know why you wear all white.  You're just a pale imitation of the girl I used to know!"

Before either of them realized what was happening, her hand flew up and struck swiftly.  He stumbled back more from shock than pain, but the pain followed instantly, and he carefully touched his glowing cheek.

"Well, I guess you were right, Marche," Ritz said, her voice burning through his heart like acid.  "You're in pain, and I DON'T care."  With that, she stormed away, her white hair whipping wildly as the wind picked up.

Marche stared after her until she vanished around the corner.  It was then that he felt warm wetness slipping through his fingers.  He drew his hand back to find blood staining his palm.  As he turned to go home, Marche was unable to ignore the fact that she certainly still hit like the old Ritz.

Strangely, it was because of Ritz that Marche didn't have to wander the streets aimlessly.  He hadn't gone far when something told him to check his pockets.  In the left one, he found Eldena's Angel Ring, and then slipped it on without knowing why.  In the right, he found a slip of paper with an address on it.  Normally, he wouldn't have given it any real importance, except that he recognized Ritz's handwriting right away.  While he was still upset with her, Marche knew Ritz must've snuck this into his pocket before their last argument, almost as if she'd known they would separate.  But then, he was starting to think that there was precious little that this new Ritz didn't know.

The address seemed a bit too familiar, and Marche soon found out why.  He had sometimes imagined that his father was dead, and to feed the illusion, he would often walk over to the local cemetery and pretend one of the tombstones held his father's name.  His mother had not tried to stop these morbid trips, so long as Marche promised never to involve Doned in them. 

But there was no need to imagine this night.  For when Marche reached the cemetery, he found his father's tombstone right away.  It was in the very first row, dead center, and marked by a single blue rose.  Had Marche looked any closer, he might have realized that it was the very same he'd given to Ritz in Ivalice.  But something else had caught his attention by then.

There was a tombstone next to his father's, and the earth before it was still soft, proving the burial had been very recent.  Marche felt something break inside him as he read the name over and over again, trying to convince himself that it couldn't be true.

"Mom," he whispered brokenly, sinking to his knees.  Marche couldn't help feeling both miserable and guilty.  Was death the only way his parents could ever be together in peace?  Had he and Doned been that much of a burden on them?

A new thought entered his head: Ritz had known.  From the start, most likely, she'd known that his parents were dead.  White hot rage bubbled over inside him, and Marche scrambled angrily to his feet.  She'd been lying to him all this time, letting him stumble upon one misfortune after another, obviously leading him to the greatest one of all.  He was almost glad they'd parted ways before now, because if Ritz had been here when he finally realized…well, he would've lost it completely.  As it was, he wanted to grab her and shake her until she could never lie or make actually make him feel guilty for stealing away her happiness.  What was happiness compared to having both her parents above ground?

"Your anger is misplaced, young warrior," said a voice behind him.

Marche froze where he stood.  He knew that voice, and would never forget it, no matter how hard he tried.  It was very difficult to suppress the urge to whip around with his fists flying, but he suspected that it would do little or no good.  In the end, it didn't matter.  His body stopped responding to his commands a moment later, and turned to face his visitor.  And even when he finally saw her, it was hard to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

"Remedi," he hissed softly.

"Hello, Marche," she replied with something like pity in her voice.  Then she stepped closer, her outstretched hand keeping his body in place as she neared him.  "There is something I must tell you."

Marche managed to squeeze his eyes shut as he felt her light but powerful hands glide over his shoulders and up to his neck.  Remedi had managed to follow him even here, and now he was going to die at her hands.  His being angry at Ritz was instantly forgotten in the face of impending and certain doom…

Next Chapter: Desolation

Marche loses everything…except a chance to get it all back.


	6. Devastation

Chapter 5: Devastation

Marche could've sworn he felt his heart skip a beat as Remedi's warm hands brushed his neck in what was almost a caress.  This was the moment in which she would strangle him, he knew.  She had won, after all.

He was completely unprepared when her hands came to rest on his back and pulled him into her arms.

"You poor dear," she murmured softly, stroking his hair affectionately.

Marche was unable to suppress the wild, instinctive urge that rose in him, and suddenly he was hugging her back fiercely, bawling into her cloak as the full weight of his misfortune finally hit him.  The only good thing left in his life was the pity of his greatest foe.

"Oh, it's not pity, sweetheart," Remedi said at once, turning his face up to hers.  "It's love, plain and simple.  No one should ever have to experience this much pain at such a young age."

It didn't occur to Marche that she was reading his mind, or that she had released her hold on him.  All he knew was that this woman was trying to comfort him, and for now, it was definitely working. 

"And we're hardly enemies now," she continued, smiling genuinely.  "I know you and my son aren't exactly friends anymore, but I've seen how you tried to help him, in both worlds.  Only a true friend would do what you've done for him.  For that, I thank you, Marche."

"But…my parents," Marche whispered, blinking away more tears.

"I'm sorry, honey," Remedi said, closing her eyes.  "They are gone.  It's no illusion.  I wish there was something I could do for you, but…I have none of my former power here.  I only had enough to keep your attention.  The price of keeping any magic was just too great."

That last part stuck in his mind.  Llednar had retained all his magic, and seemed unconcerned with any price.  Ritz, on the other hand, had only done two spells, and had been reluctant to do any more.  What price was involved that could've been so high for her and Remedi, but nothing to Llednar?

Before he could think to ask Remedi, she bent down and tenderly kissed his forehead.  "I don't have any time left.  Good luck, dear."

Marche found himself holding a stuffed bear a moment later, and Remedi was nowhere to be seen.  He began to think he'd only imagined her being there, but the bear's black button eyes seemed to hold the same kindness and warmth that hers had.  It was obvious now why this bear was so dear to Mewt.  Marche wondered how it had gotten all the way out here.

"You were meant to find it where I left it," said a familiar voice behind him.  "Just as I was meant to do this."

Marche swallowed noisily as he clutched the bear tighter to him and turned around.  "Ritz…"

She turned toward his parents' graves and stretched out her hands.  "No matter how you may feel about me now, Marche, I'm still your friend.  But if you'd rather not have me in your life, I can kill two birds with one stone."

Marche was suddenly filled with a horrible sense of foreboding.  "Ritz…what are you-"

"LIFE!" she cried, and then she vanished into the blinding white light.

Marche hid his eyes behind his arm, even as he took a few steps forward.  When he could see again, he found Ritz staring sadly at the unchanged graves.

"It didn't work," she muttered.  "I knew it wouldn't, but I had to try for you, Marche."  She wobbled unsteadily on her feet, and then collapsed to the ground.

"RITZ!" Marche shouted as he ran to kneel by her side.  "What's wrong?!  What did you do?!"

"It's just the price of using magic here," she explained weakly as he propped her head up on his arm.

"What price?  What?!"

"Lives, Marche," Ritz whispered, closing her eyes.  "Each spell costs exactly one life, one human soul.  I could only bear to take three, but I knew I'd need them, so…"

"Who, Ritz?" Marche pressed.  "Who did you…?"

"My parents," Ritz sighed, a single tear escaping her right eye.  "And now…"  She gasped and clutched at her own chest.

"You didn't!" Marche gasped in disbelief.  "Ritz, why would you?!"

"Because you wanted me to," she said simply.

"It…it wasn't worth it," he whispered.

"It was to me," Ritz said, carefully cupping his cheek with her free hand.  "Marche, haven't you wondered why you haven't seen any other people on the streets?  Didn't you wonder how Llednar kept his powers?"

"…he killed them all," Marche whispered in disbelief.

"Stole their souls, so that no one would ever be strong enough to threaten Mewt.  He took enough of Doned's soul to put him in a coma, but left enough for him to live."

"Why?!  Just to hurt me?!"

"Maybe he wanted to keep you busy, so that you'd leave Mewt alone.  Or he wanted you to devote your life to Doned, like he did with Mewt.  Maybe he wanted you to know how it felt to be him.  To live entirely for a single person's well-being."

"I want YOU to live, Ritz!" Marche cried.

"Too late," Ritz whispered.  "Bye, Marche.  You should know that I…"  She trailed off and went limp in his arms.

In a panic, Marche tore the Angel Ring from his finger and slipped it on Ritz.  But there was no flash of light, and she did not open her eyes or spring back to her feet.

"Magic doesn't always work here," he reminded himself.  "And why should it work for me?  I'm only the idiot who brought this terrible world back.  If only I'd listened to you and Mewt—no, nearly all of Ivalice—you'd still be with me…"  Marche carefully picked her up, staring miserably at her pale face.  "I'm so sorry, Ritz.  You shouldn't have given up everything just for me.  I'm not worth the cost."

At that moment, the strangest smell invaded Marche's nose.  It was strange because he'd only smelled it in Ivalice, and even there, only in one particular place.  By the time he'd realized it was the scent of melting amber, he could already feel the fabric of reality world around him rippling, as if someone had tossed a stone into a lake.

The air in front of him seemed to rend in two, split by a glowing blade of light.  It seemed an awful lot like an illusionist's trick at first, but Marche had not been away from Ivalice so long that he couldn't recognize Ultima magic when he saw it.

In the next moment, a Bangaa tore through the rip, the glowing blade fading back into his Godhand as he shoved the two sides of the rip apart, making it even wider and bracing what could very well have been the weight of two worlds on his burly arms.

"Pallanza?" Marche asked uncertainly, even as the Bangaa grunted and nodded.  "How did you get here…?"

"Why, through another Ezel Berbier exclusive, of course!" replied a cocky voice.  The infamous Nu Mou emerged from the rip next, his many rings glinting as he swaggered forward.  "Made it just for the occasion, too!  So, how do you like my Walkabout Antilaw, kid?"

"Works great," Marche said faintly, still unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Knew you'd like it!" Ezel chuckled.  He turned back to the rip and shouted,  "C'mon, you slackers!  I may be good, but the Antilaw isn't permanent.  Move it!"

Montblanc and Eldena came through next, and bringing up the rear was the last person Marche wanted to see at the moment.

"Shara," he whispered sadly, unconsciously clutching Ritz's body tighter as the Viera's eyes landed on him.  In that moment, Marche felt like he had personally killed Ritz.  And in a way, he had.  All she'd done was for him, and he'd never even known until it was too late.

But Shara did not scream or try to throttle Marche, as he expected her to.  Instead, she merely walked over to him and stretched out her arms.  By the look on her face, it was obvious what she wanted, and that any actions contrary to her wish would be met with grave consequences.

Reluctantly, Marche gave Ritz to her, and felt his heart lighten a bit as he did so.  He barely even noticed when Montblanc patted his arm and said, "Be right back, kupo!" before zipping off down the street like a shot, having cast Haste on himself.

After Shara had looked Ritz over carefully, she looked at Marche.  "Don't feel bad.  This was always meant to happen.  Ritz knew it, and now, so do you."

Marche gaped at her.  "But how could she-"

"I told her," Shara interrupted.  "I told her that she would die, that I would come back for her, and that she would live again—in Ivalice."

"You're taking her away?!" Marche cried in alarm.  "You can't!"

"Would you rather bury her right here, knowing that she can live elsewhere?" Shara snapped.

Eldena gently grasped his arm.  "Marche, her life here is over.  She gave it up for you.  When you die here, that's the end.  It's why she couldn't revive your parents.  But it's not so in Ivalice.  You know that."

"But…you can't just take her from me," Marche protested softly.

"We had no intention of doing so," Eldena said with a bright smile.  "You're coming with us, dear."

"…I can't.  Someone has to look after Doned, and-"

"Back, kupo!" Montblanc announced as he ran up to them, steering Doned in a wheelchair.

"It is a one-way trip," Eldena admitted, "but we thought once you saw what was left for you here, you'd want to come home with us.  Were we right, Marche?"

Marche bit his lip as he stared at them all.  There was nothing left for him here, really.  Mewt hated him, his parents and Ritz were dead, and only Doned was left.  But in Ivalice, Ritz would be revived and Doned could be healed just as easily.  What was the point in staying?

Eldena slipped her hand into his, and he could feel his fingers brushing over her Angel Ring.  "Please come with me, Marche," she pleaded, tugging him towards the rip.  "Ezel's Antilaw won't last much longer."

"We can be your family again, kupo!" Montblanc added with a smile.

Though he knew the comment was meant to cheer him up, Marche felt tears spilling down his cheeks.  He walked over to Doned and placed Mewt's bear in his lap.  "Okay," Marche whispered.  "Let's go home."

The End.

End Notes:

I went out of my way to use the semi-secret characters. Yes, I know some of their jobs are different.  I did that on purpose, to reflect what I had them do.  And to see if anyone would notice.  Did you?  And did you leave a correction without reading the end notes? Hmm?

I have no proof that Eldena is an older Viera, or that she has any particular feelings for Marche.  But I do know one thing: you don't like it, make your OWN story saying different.  And please let me know when it's posted, if it's any good.

I gave Llednar the Nagrarok because it's a strong sword.  No, he isn't a Paladin, but he has no trouble with other weapons that job uses (SaveTheQueen & Excalibur), so I see no reason why he can't use it.

I don't know everything about the game.  The farthest I ever got was 286 missions, all Ultima Weapons, and all semi/secret characters (except Cid, obviously).

Please, leave any comments or questions you may have (story-related, game-related, etc.) in a review.  I'm no expert, but I may know a few things you don't.  Though keep in mind FFTA is the only FF game I know ANYTHING about; never played the others.

Don't demand a sequel, there will be one.  I just have to get it out of my head and typed up first.


End file.
